Portable cradle and carriage.



W0. 630,24l. Patented Aug. I, I899.

m. KNAPP.

PORTABLE CRADLE AND CARRIAGE.

' (Application filed'June 7, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 ShaetsSheet I.

F //v VENTOH A TTOHNEYS Patented Aug. I,

m. [(NAPP. v PORTABLE CRADLE AND CARRIAGE.

(Applicafion filed June 7, 1899.)

'(No Model'.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES rarss MARK I. KNAPP', OF N EW YORK, N.

PORTABLE CRADLE A'No CARRIAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

Application filed June 7,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MARK I. KNAPP, of the '5 city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in

the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Portable Cradle and Carriage, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

of the invention is to provide a knocked down to form a. small package for.

storing or transportation purposes, and adapt ed to be quickly set up ready for use as a cradle or baby-carriage.

- The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,

'- similar characters of reference bottom. Fig. 8 slats for the cradle.

forminga part of this specification, in which indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the i111- provement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the standards, the section being on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of part of the truck, the section being on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view of part of the truck and standard, the section being on the line 44 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the side rails for the cradle. Fig. 6 is a like view of the standards folded up. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of part of the cradleis a like view of one of the Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the cradle ends, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the truck in a folded position.

The combination cradle and baby-carriage consists, essentially,

body 0, of the standards to swing transversely, the body being provided for this purpose with bayonet-slottedplates D, engaging L-shaped pivot-pins E, secured to the upper ends of the posts 15 of the standards B B. The truck A is provided with axles F, carrying on their of a Wheeled truck A,

630,241, dated August 1, 1899.

1899. Serial No. 719,660. (N mb lends Wheels F, and said axles are connected with each other by a diagonal reach G, removablyconnected with pivots F heldin said axles F. On opposite sides of the diagonal reach G areal-ranged branch reaches G, connected by hinges G with the corresponding sides of the reach G, their outer ends being formed with vertically-disposed slots G for engaging pivot-pins F held on the axles F.

The ends of the reach G and the branch reaches G extend an equal distance from the middle portions of the axles F, so that the two axles are rigidly connected with each other when the truck is to be used, and in order to securely lock the branch reaches in place on the axles I provide spring-catches II, pivoted to the axles and engaging keepers H on the under side of the branch reaches near their outer ends, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3. By this construction the reach G, with its branch reaches G, is locked against lateral or longitudinal displacement, and by having the heads of the pivot-pins F turned over one of the forks at the outer end of a branch reach it is evident that the said reaches are also looked against upward movement from the axles F. When the spring-catches II are released from the keepers I'I', then the branch reaches G can be disengaged from the pivot-pins F and swung overand folded against the corresponding sides of the diagonal reach G, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 10, and the axles F can then be swung on the pivots F so as to bring the axles approximately in alinement with the folded-up reaches G G, as indicated in said Fig. 10. Th us the truck is folded up into a comparatively small space.

Each standard I) is provided with a post 13, carrying at its lower end a dowel-pin adapted to engage an aperture F in the corresponding axle F at the middle thereof. (See Fig. 4:.) On the lower end of the post B and at the outer face thereof is arranged a springpressed catch 11 similar to the catch II and adapted to engage outer face of the corresponding axle F. By this arrangement the post B is locked against upward movement on the axle Rand the dowel-pin B prevents lateral movement of the post. On the sides of each post are hinges I braces B B, extendingjin a keeper 11 secured to the held by the side rails C.

and extending directions and adapted to abut with their lower ends upon the top of the corresponding axle F outside of the ends of the reach G and the branch reaches G. (See Fig. 1.) On the lower end of each brace 13 B is held a springbolt J, adapted to engage a keeper F secured to the top of the axle F. On the post B a short distance above the-hinges I is arranged a'hinge I, connected with a brace 13 which extends inward and downward, resting at its lower end on ahook-plate G made L-shaped and carrying a hook G,-adapted to be engaged by the hook end K of a.spring-bolt K, mounted on the lower end of the brace 13. The lower end of this brace is formed with a slot B for straddling the hook G and the said lower end is also provided with a shoulder 13 for engagement with the upturned end of the plate G as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 6. In the bolt J previously mentioned the spring thereof forces the bolt downward in engagement with the keeper F while in the bolt K the spring is arranged to force the bolt upward, so as 'to securely hold the hook K thereof in engagement with the hook G ofithe plate G By the arrangement described each standard 13' can bereadily secured tothe truck to hold the standard against movement in any direction relatively to said truck, and if desired the standard can be readily removed from the truck by the operator manipulating the catches l1 and the bolts J. and K to disengage the same from the corresponding keepers. When this has been done, each standard can be folded up by swinging the brace 33 upward upon the upper portion of the post B and then swinging the other braces B and 13 against the sides of the upper portion of said post to fold the latter in a comparatively small space, as will be readily understood by ref erence to Fig. 6.

The cradle (3 is provided with two side rails C and ends (1 of which the latter are provided with the slotted plates D for hanging the cradle on the pivots E, previously described. The rails C are provided at their inside, near the bottom thereof, with notches C for receiving the slats C adapted to support the bottom C, preferably madein the shape of one, two, or more boards placed on said slats from one side to the other and from one cnd Q to the other end. Each of the ends 0 is provided at the' outer ends of its top and bottom rails with plates (i having bayonet-slots [or the passage of screws C having flat heads and screwing in the ends of (See Fig.5.) \Vhcntheheads of the screws 0 extend horizontally, as shown in said Fig. 5, they can readily pass through thehorizontal portions of the slots in the plates (1, and then the shanks of the screws can drop into the vertical parts of said slots. \Vhen this has been done, a piartcr-turn is given to the screw, so as to swing the flat head at a right angle to the long horizontal slot portion to prevent accidental disconnection of said screws with the plates C By the arran gement described the side rails O and the ends 0 can be readily disconnected from each other and folded up into a small bundle, together with the sectional bottom C and-the slats C and when it is desired to make use of the device said rails can be readily connected with the ends of the slats C placed in position to receive the sectional bottom 0 The cradle-body thus assembled can readily be hung on the pivots E to permit of swinging the cradle-body on said pivotsina transverse direction.

From the foregoing it is evident that the de vice can be used as a cradle or as a carriage, as it can be readily pushed forward or backward, the wheels F traveling on the ground or floor.

Instead of the cradle a hammock or other similar device may be hung on the pins E of the standards B, and a parasol or canopy may be attached to one or both standards to protect the child in the cradle from the rays of the sun, from insects, &e.

Having thus frilly described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A portable cradle-carriage, provided with a truck, comprising axles carrying wheels, a diagonatreach pivotally connecting the axles with caclt other, and branch reaches hinged on said diagonal reach and springpressed locking devices for connecting the outer ends of said branch reaches to said axles, substantially as shown and described.

2. A portable cradle carriage, provided with a truck comprising spaced axles carrying wheels, a diagonal reach pivotally connecting the axles with each other, branch reaches hinged at opposite sides of the diagonal reach, and locking devices for connecting the outer ends of said branch reaches to said axles, as set forth.

3. A portable cradlecarriage, provided with standards each comprisinga post formed at its lower end with a dowel-pin for engagement with an axle, an automatic locking device on the post for locking it to the axle, and side braces hinged to said post and having spring-bolts for engagement with the axle, substantially as shown and described.

4. A portable cradle-carriage, comprising axles and a connecting-reach standards each comprising a post formed at its lower end with a dowel-pin for cngagem cut with an axle, a locking device on the pgstfor locking it to the axle, side braces hipgedto said post and having spring-bolts for engagement with the axle, and longitudinally extending braces hinged to the post and/provided with ahackin g de vice for locking said brace to the reach of the truck, as set forth.

5. In a portable cradle-carriage, the combination with a truck having axles, and reaches for connecting the axles with each other, of standards each having a post, a dowel-pin on the post for engagement with the axle, a locking device for thepost for connecting the latter to the axle, transverse braces hinged to the post and adapted to be locked to the axle, and a longitudinal brace on the post and adapted to be locked to the reach, substantially as shown and described. 6. A portable cradle carriage, provided with a cradle-body, comprising side rails screws in the ends and extended parallel with the side rails, and end sections formed with bayonet slotted plates for receiving said screws,'suostantially as shown and described.

'7. A portable cradle-carriage, provided with a cradle-body, comprising side rails screws in the ends and extended parallel with the side rails, end sections formed with bayonet-slotted plates fol-receiving said screws, slats carried by said side rails, and a sectional bottom resting on said slats, as set forth.

MARK I. KNAPP;

Witnesses 'THEo. G. Hos'rER, I EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

